Remembering ChristmasChikamu

Healthy Habits To Honor Our Bodies
By Ashley Armstrong

Each year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day so many people throw self-control out the frosty window. Is that you? Maybe you find yourself double-fisting those decadent sweets or holding tight to a gingerbread latte while you drive past the gym. 

I believe we can still honor God with our bodies when life is stressful and full, especially around the holidays. Life is the ebb and flow of celebration and sorrow, weddings and funerals, running and rest. We cannot allow the season or the events on our calendar to dictate our health year after year. What we can do is control the pace of our lives with the help of the Holy Spirit and some well-established healthy habits.

According to the Bible, we are to “offer our bodies” to God as living sacrifices. As we do this, He will transform our minds from darkness to light! In light of this passage, let’s try something new this year.

1. Continue exercising like normal. Reinforce the habit of going to the gym or working out at home. But allow yourself to decrease the duration. What you need to maintain is the HABIT of exercise. So give yourself grace and maybe work out 30 minutes as opposed to an hour. You’re still going to experience the benefits of stress-relief, calorie burning, and increased serotonin. Even if it’s not as lengthy of a sweat-session as you’d like, 30 minutes is still better than no minutes.
2. Decide ahead of time exactly how you’re going to “cheat.” I like to plan ahead for a family get-together or social event and decide which food or beverage is “worth it” for me to indulge in. The anticipation of that hot fudge pie is fun and it keeps me from also eating that “just-okay” pecan pie. So, eat your favorites! Food is a gift from God and a blessing to be enjoyed with family and friends. But you don’t have to eat EVERYTHING. Only eat your favorites. Bring a full water bottle with you to each event and this will keep you from overeating as you stay well-hydrated. 
3. Protect your sleep. I’m a night owl, so I have to set an alarm at night that tells me to “Go to  bed!” or I will stay up way too late and stagger my way toward my quiet time in the mornings. Give yourself plenty of sleep during this season so you can give your very best to the people you love most. Keep a notepad by your bed to get all the things to do the next day out of your head and onto paper. 

Wouldn’t it be amazing to wake up on January 1st without the need for a grand resolution for your health? What if you could say, “I did not go crazy with food this year, AND I kept exercising throughout the holidays!” 

It is possible, my friend. Let’s do this together!